Virtual Reality as a Promising Tool Supporting Oncological Treatment in Breast Cancer

Ewa Zasadzka, Anna Pieczyńska, Tomasz Trzmiel and Katarzyna Hojan
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Ewa Zasadzka: Department of Occupational Therapy, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, 60-781 Poznan, Poland
Anna Pieczyńska: Department of Occupational Therapy, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, 60-781 Poznan, Poland
Tomasz Trzmiel: Department of Occupational Therapy, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, 60-781 Poznan, Poland
Katarzyna Hojan: Department of Occupational Therapy, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, 60-781 Poznan, Poland

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 16, 1-17

Abstract: Breast cancer (BC) treatment is associated with many physical and psychological symptoms. Psychological distress or physical dysfunction are one of the most common side effects of oncological treatment. Functional dysfunction and pain-related evasion of movement may increase disability in BC. Virtual reality (VR) can offer BC women a safe environment within which to carry out various rehabilitation interventions to patient support during medical procedures. The aim of this systematic review was to conduct an overview of the clinical studies that used VR therapy in BC. The review was conducted in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines method: the initial search identified a total of 144 records, and 11 articles met the review criteria and were selected for the analysis. The results showed that VR seems to be a promising tool supporting oncological treatment in BC patients. VR can have a positive effect on mental and physical functions, such as relieving anxiety during oncotherapy, diminution pain syndrome, and increasing the range of motion and performance in daily activities.

Keywords: oncology; virtual reality; physical therapy; rehabilitation; supportive care; cancer care (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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